First look: InterContinental Indianapolis, a modern grande dame for the Midwest

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Editor’s note: The InterContinental Indianapolis provided TPG with a complimentary two-night stay to get an inside look at the hotel and its amenities. The opinions expressed below are entirely those of the author and weren’t subject to review by the hotel or any external entity.

When the InterContinental Indianapolis opened in February, it marked the completion of a $120 million restoration of the landmark Illinois Building downtown. In addition to bringing this 100-year-old building into the modern era while preserving historic details, the InterContinental Indianapolis caught our attention: It earned a spot on TPG’s list of the most exciting hotel openings of 2025, as it’s the first luxury hotel to open in Indiana’s capital in nearly two decades.

This opening, along with the recent $89 million renovation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, the WNBA All-Star Game this July and the 100th anniversary of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, also earned Indy a spot on TPG’s list of the best places to travel in 2025.

First impressions

The building’s 1920s origins are most evident in the heavily gilded elevator bank you enter at street level. But once the elevators open to the second-floor lobby, you immediately notice the hotel’s transformation into a 21st-century property.

Contemporary art commissioned from local artists hangs front and center (don’t miss the portrait of Indiana-native David Letterman that Taylor Smith made from floppy discs). Other modern details include a reception desk made from laser-cut aluminum fins and a hand-blown glass chandelier. The marble bar at the lobby’s restaurant Serliana serves as the hotel’s hub.

The InterContinental brand evolution is evident here: The property caters to business travelers with beautifully designed meeting rooms off the lobby, but a buzzy rooftop bar draws in locals and travelers alike. The pop-art feel of the art collection gives the property an upscale yet unpretentious vibe.

The rooms

The InterContinental Indianapolis has 170 guest rooms and suites across six categories, including classic rooms that start at 307 square feet and slightly larger premium rooms (both of which come with one king or two queen beds). Suites range from 1 King Studio Suites (1 King Studio Suites with mobility accessible roll-in showers are also available) to one-bedroom luxury suites with a separate bedroom and living room to the 1,545-square-foot penthouse suite with floor-to-ceiling views of Monument Circle and a private elevator.

All rooms are decorated in shades of cream and dusty blue with gold accents that emulate a luxurious and calm mood. Though the patterned carpet that appears wall-to-wall in most guest rooms and hallways detracts from the property’s upscale vibe, I didn’t hear a single other guest outside or above my room.

I stayed in a one-bedroom luxury suite, which had one and a half bathrooms and a king-size bedroom with views of the Indiana Statehouse. The separate spacious living room had a wet bar, a small desk, a large closet, a chic velvet couch and an armchair. Both the bedroom and living room had privacy and blackout shades that lowered with the touch of a button.

The en-suite bathroom was massive enough to fit a walk-in shower, a separate bathtub and dual sinks. The half bath off the living room included a toilet and a single sink. Other room categories — except for the penthouse suite — come with just one bathroom with only walk-in showers, but all rooms have Byredo Bal D’Afrique bath amenities.

The wet bar had a Nespresso coffee machine, and the minibar refrigerator had space to store leftovers in addition to the sodas, beer and other alcoholic beverages for sale. In addition to gummy bears and M&Ms, local snacks like Broad Ripple Chip Co. potato chips were also available to purchase in the minibar.

Dining at InterContinental Indianapolis

The InterContinental Indianapolis has two restaurants and bars that are open to the public, as well as 24-hour in-room dining.

Serliana, in the hotel’s second-floor lobby, is the hotel’s all-day restaurant open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. It serves classics like steak frites ($38), burgers ($19) and tuna nicoise salads ($19) for lunch and dinner. You can even try its version of the Indiana classic pork tenderloin sandwich ($17). For breakfast, I ordered the hearty mushroom toast ($17) served on semolina country bread with tulip tree nettle cheese and scrambled eggs.

The hotel’s crown jewel is Astrea, on the 11th-floor rooftop. It offers prime views of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument as well as the chance to get up close to original architectural details like the building’s gold terra cotta cornice. It is open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily and until 1 a.m. on weekends.

Astrea’s food menu is limited to snacks and shareable dishes, but I made a dinner of the jumbo shrimp cocktail ($22) and Indiana charcuterie board ($24) that came with three local cured meats, grilled bread and house-made pickles. To drink, I had the strong and spicy Monocular Findings ($16) made with tequila, mezcal, apricot, fino sherry and gochujang paint.

The vibe was energetic with pop music playing on a Tuesday night. DJs take it up another notch on the weekends.

Room service is available 24 hours and offers a limited menu at night with chicken club wraps ($14) and power bowls ($17). For breakfast, I enjoyed an order of beignets ($9) and a carafe of coffee ($10). You can call to order or scan a QR code in the room and order on your phone.

Amenities and service

• The service was attentive and quick, from the chatty valets who always had my car ready upon request to the friendly receptionist who texted me after check-in to see if my room was OK. The service at Serliana and for in-room dining was prompt. When it was busy, I had to wait a bit for my check at Astrea, but I didn’t mind enjoying the view longer.
• Known for catering to business travelers, the InterContinental’s meeting rooms are beautiful with marble conference tables, leather chairs and alabaster light fixtures.
• The 24-hour gym may be in the basement, but the wall behind the treadmills and Pelotons is backlit to appear like a window filtering in natural light.
• Each floor has a hydrostation where glass carafes can be filled with still or sparkling water. Instead of a regular ice machine, there is a freezer with individually wrapped bags of ice for a more sanitary experience.
• There is no pool or spa.

Location and logistics

The InterContinental Indianapolis is in the heart of downtown, just off Monument Circle. It is one block from the Indiana Statehouse and three blocks from the Indiana Convention Center.

From Indianapolis International Airport (IND), it is about a 25-minute drive to the hotel. (The hotel doesn’t offer an airport shuttle.) Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are available and cost about $23 between the hotel and the airport. A public bus route operates between downtown and the airport, which takes about an hour.

I rented a car during my visit so I could explore beyond downtown. Valet parking costs $65 per day.

What it costs to stay at the InterContinental Indianapolis and how to book

As an IHG hotel, you can book the InterContinental Indianapolis directly with IHG One Reward points. Room rates start from $213 or 32,300 IHG One Reward points per night for a classic room. You can also book through credit card portals like Chase Travel℠ and American Express Travel, though the hotel has yet to be added to any credit card hotel collections like The Edit by Chase or Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts.

When booking the InterContinental Indianapolis, you’ll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for IHG stays, as well as one that possibly offers automatic IHG One Rewards elite status for value-added benefits. These include:

• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 10 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts, plus automatic Platinum Elite status.
• IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 10 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts, plus automatic Platinum Elite status.
• IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 5 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts, plus automatic Silver Elite status.

Accessibility

The InterContinental Indianapolis has four Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant guest rooms that are wheelchair accessible and feature accessible door locks, roll-in showers with handrails and built-in transfer shower seats. Tall toilets with grab bars are also available.

Bottom line›

With an energetic rooftop bar and seriously cool contemporary art collection featuring local talent, the InterContinental Indianapolis will subvert your expectations of a nearly 80-year-old hotel brand inside a 100-year-old building.

Whether you’re in town for a conference, basketball game or to enjoy Indy’s world-class museums beyond downtown, this new hotel provides a luxurious, centrally located home base from which to explore this Midwestern capital.

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• IHG will debut an InterContinental hotel in Cape Town in 2025
• Everything you should know about InterContinental Ambassador membership
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